The Essence of Family
by Chocolatesinger
Summary: Troy and Gabriella meet in the most unlikely of ways... at Troy's daughter's kindergarten. Will Troy and Gabriella find a way to be together, despite Gabriella's abusive, controlling boyfriend? Rated M for abuse, language, and sexual depictions.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

Hey Guys!

Thanks for stopping by! This is my second HSM fanfic (working on the first simultaneously… I'm a bad girl) and I hope you enjoy!

**Rating:** Please note that this is rated M for a reason- Abuse, language and sexual depictions are a factor. If any of those make you uncomfortable, then this story may not be for you.

**Summary:** Read and find out!

**Disclaimer:** The author of this fanfiction _does not_ have any affiliation with Disney, Kenny Ortega, or any of the actors who portray the amazing HSM characters in the movie. She does not own any characters except for the original ones. She really wishes she owned Zac Efron, though. At least his lips. And his eyes. Or just all of him.

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

* * *

Troy slowly awoke on Monday morning, feeling a warm figure curled up against his body. Feeling far too early to wake up, he heard his daughter's voice through his dreamy haze.

"Daddy…" Christine, called Chrissy by everyone around her, was five years old and small for her age. She fit perfectly into Troy's arms, and she snuggled deeper into his side.

"Chrissy, what time is it…" Troy groaned, waking up a little more.

"It's 6:00, Daddy…" Chrissy replied sweetly.

"Baby, it's too early to be awake… Do you want to sleep for another half hour?"

"Daddy, I can't be late for my first day of school," Chrissy said, poking her dad in the stomach.

"Okay, okay… I'm coming," Troy said, sighing. It was going to be a long day.

*/*/*/*/*

"Chrissy," Troy said, glancing at his daughter's reflection in the mirror, then focusing back on the road as he drove her to school. "Are you excited for school?"

No response.

"Chrissy?"

"I'm scared, Daddy," Chrissy whispered, tugging at a piece of her slightly curled blonde hair.

"What are you scared of, Peanut? If anyone isn't nice to you, you know you can tell a teacher, right?"

"Yes," Chrissy said in an even smaller voice. Troy sighed, reaching his arm back so that Chrissy could grasp his hand while he drove. It was times like these, when Chrissy's incredible shyness showed, that Troy wished her mother was still around. Troy stopped the car in the school's parking lot, and held out his hand for Chrissy to hold.

"I love you, Chrissy, you know that, right? I'm so proud of you," Troy said lovingly, leading her to the front entrance of the school.

"I love you too, Daddy," Chrissy whispered.

In the foyer of the Montessori, a groups of children were scattered around, gathering around their teachers. Chrissy held her father's hand tighter.

"Hi," a kind voice said to their right. "Are you in kindergarten?"

Troy turned to face the voice, and standing in front of them was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

"I'm Ms. Montez," the teacher said, crouching down to Chrissy's level. "What's your name?"

"I'm Chrissy," she whispered, hiding her face behind Troy's leg.

"Hi Chrissy, it's very nice to meet you. Are you in kindergarten?"

"She's very shy," Troy explained as Chrissy didn't answer. Gabriella rose, smoothing her skirt.

"Hi, I'm Gabriella Montez. I'm one of the kindergarten teachers," Gabriella explained as she noticed the man's cerulean blue eyes. She extended her hand.

"Troy. Troy Bolton," Troy said, shaking her hand. "I'm Chrissy's dad."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you," she said sincerely, feeling a tingling feeling run through her body. "Chrissy, would you like to go meet your classmates?" Chrissy shook her head no.

"Chrissy," Troy said gently, bending down to his daughter's level. "Be brave… You're such a good girl, I'm so proud of you. I love you so much… Can you go with Ms. Montez? Can you do that for me?" He asked as Gabriella marveled at his kind tone. Too often she had seen impatient parents leaving their children on the first day of school without a second thought.

"Okay," Chrissy agreed.

"Come with me, Chrissy," Gabriella said, already having developed a soft spot for her.

"Thank you," Troy said, handing Chrissy to her. "I love you, Chrissy."

"I love you too, Daddy," Chrissy said, then she followed Ms. Montez away from the group and down the hall.

* * *

"I'm home," Gabriella called wearily. She had ridden the train all the way home.

"Hey baby," She heard Drew's slurred voice as she placed her bag on her desk.

"Are you drunk?" Gabriella asked, moving towards the kitchen.

"Wha-? No," Drew slurred. "Babe, I just had a few drinks…"

"C'mon, Drew, let's get you into bed."

"You know I'd like to get _you_ into bed," Drew said as Gabriella supported him towards their bed.

"You smell like booze, Drew, I'm not having sex with you," Gabriella replied.

"Now you're all a kindergarten teacher at some fancy-ass private school," Drew said. "But that's not gonna stop me from getting what I want."

*/*/*/*/*

_How did I get here?_ Gabriella thought to herself over the snores of her boyfriend. Gabriella had had a boyfriend; one she took with her from high school to college, someone she had been in love with. Then he cheated on her, and her life felt shattered- the sting of rejection had been too much for Gabriella, and she began burying herself in work and took up two jobs- one at the local campus bookstore, one as a professor's assistant. She had been working at the campus bookstore, and in the last months of her time there, Drew started appearing every day, trying to woo her. Brokenhearted, still, Gabriella let Drew in. The Drew that had showed up at the bookstore was not the alcoholic Drew that lay next to her every night after sex. After college, Gabriella had gone to Stanford ed school, while Drew began partying with all of his buddies before (and after) his 'work' at the bar. She had tried to leave; every time, she found herself back in his arms, for she didn't know where else to go. She couldn't bear living alone; her best friend Taylor had gotten married and all of her friends were back in Albuquerque, having moved back there after their years at college ended. Albuquerque, or New York, Gabriella thought, grinning at the thought of her friends Ryan and Kelsi. So with Drew she stayed. _That Troy Bolton_ _is nice, _a voice said, startling her. Where did _that_ come from. Gabriella smiled at the thought of his daughter- Chrissy had been so sweet, Gabriella slowly coaxing her out of her shell…

* * *

"Hi Chrissy!" Troy said, scooping his daughter up as he walked through the door. "How was your day at school?"

"It was so much fun!" Chrissy said enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around Troy's neck. "I did so much and we read a story and we played in the playground and-"

"Whoa, Peanut, slow down!" Troy chuckled, surprised that his daughter was so enthusiastic about her day.

"Hi Troy," Lucille Bolton said, smiling at her granddaughter's laughter.

"Hey mom!" Troy said, putting Chrissy down. "Thank you so much for picking her up… Ran late at work!"

"No problem, my son," Lucille said fondly. "Always a pleasure, especially when my granddaughter is so happy. How was work today?"

"It was busy," Troy said, running his hand through his chestnut hair, his other hand being tugged by Chrissy into the living room. "A few surgeries, a couple check-ups…" Troy was in sports medicine, specializing in orthopedics. He was very successful, having made his way out of medical school top in his class and finding a place at the hospital right out of his residency.

"I'll never get used to you as a doctor, Troy," Lucille admitted, laughing. "You wanted to be in the NBA when you were little…"

"Yes, yes, I know," Troy said, rolling his eyes.

"Anyway, I should get going," Lucille said, checking her watch. "Traffic should be okay right around now."

"Alright, safe drive home, mom," Troy said, kissing his mother on the cheek. "Thanks again."

"Anytime, Troy."

"Daddy!" Chrissy called impatiently.

"Coming, Chrissy!" Troy called.

"Daddy, I had so much fun today at school. We started at the alphabet and we learned how to write the letter 'a', see?" Chrissy said.

"Wow, that's very good, Chrissy!" Troy said. "So what did you like best about today?"

"Ms. Montez!" Chrissy said excitedly. "She's so nice and beautiful," Chrissy said in awe.

"I'm glad, Peanut. Are you excited for school tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Chrissy replied. "Ms. Montez said that we'll be alphabet journals and bigraphies!"

"Biographies," Troy corrected gently. "Did you play with anyone today?"

"Yes. Naomi and Spencer," Chrissy said.

"That's wonderful, Chrissy!" Troy said, delighted that she was making friends.

*/*/*/*/*

After tucking Chrissy into bed, Troy plopped down on the living room coach and turned on the TV, low volume setting. It wasn't easy being a single dad- especially not with a young, incredibly shy daughter. A young, shy daughter who seemed to be coming out of her shell, all because of… Ms. Montez.

**A/N**:

Please tell me what you think! Next chapter coming soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

Wow! The feedback for this has been AMAZING- I've already gotten a lot of reviews for this! Thank you so much! Here is chapter 2: please review and I hope you enjoy!

-Jackie

* * *

Gabriella awoke the next morning at the sound of her alarm. Rolling over, she found Drew laying on his back, snoring loudly. A wonder she hadn't woken up. Knowing that he would be incredibly hung over when he woke up, Gabriella sighed, climbed out of bed and padded into the kitchen to retrieve an Asprin and make him a cup of coffee. After setting it on his bedside table, Gabriella readied herself for school, donning a lavender blouse and charcoal pencil skirt with her flats. Swinging her bag over her shoulder, she began her journey to school.

*/*/*/*/*

"Hi Ms. Montez!" Chrissy said, rushing up to her new favorite teacher when she arrived.

"Hello, Chrissy!" Gabriella replied cheerily. "I like your ribbon!"

"Thanks," Chrissy said, shyness restored, reaching up to tug at it. "Daddy doesn't know how to do braids like Sarah's, so he put a bow in instead."

Gabriella knew from reading her students' files that Chrissy didn't live with her mom, only with Troy. She wondered why, but immediately deemed it incredibly inappropriate to pose the question to a five year old. "Well, it looks lovely. Chrissy, class is about to begin; would you like to take your seat? Look, I made nametags!"

* * *

The rest of the week practically flew by- Gabriella loved every one of her students, especially Chrissy. Chrissy, whom she found to be quite intelligent- she just needed a little prompting. Friday afternoon, Gabriella dismissed her class with a smile, and turned to organize her classroom.

"Ms… Ms. Montez…"

Gabriella spun around to see a crying Chrissy behind her, wiping her eyes and dragging her light pink backpack behind her.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Gabriella said, rushing over to Chrissy, sitting down in one of the mini kindergarten chairs and opening her arms.

"Daddy's not here," Chrissy sniffed, leaning her head on Gabriella's blouse, tears staining her shirt.

"Chrissy, he'll be here," Gabriella said, lifting Chrissy, who was surprisingly light for a five year old, onto her lap and stroking her back. "I'll wait with you until he shows up… It's possible that he's just a little late, right, honey?"

Chrissy swiped at the tears streaming down her face and nodded.

"Come on, let's go wait for him outside. Would you like to sit on the bench with me? Do you have all of your things?" Gabriella questioned gently. Chrissy nodded, and Gabriella placed her upright on the floor. "Chrissy, I'm just going to grab my bag. We'll sit outside together, okay?" Gabriella said, taking her hand and leading her over to the teacher's desk, where she quickly packed her things. "Would you like to come with me to the teacher's room?" Gabriella asked, switching off the light as they left the classroom.

Chrissy sniffled, then said, "Yes, please."

Gabriella showed Chrissy her 'mailbox', and collected a few teachers' notices.

Gabriella and Chrissy sat on the bench outside school for about twenty minutes, waiting for Troy to arrive, Gabriella trying to coax conversation out of Chrissy. By the time Troy arrived, Chrissy was telling Gabriella animatedly about Troy attempting to bake a cake for her birthday and instead setting the oven on fire.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Troy said, rushing towards them after getting out of his car. "Appointment ran late at work, then all that traffic… Hi sweetie," Troy gathered Chrissy in his arms, kissing her on the head. "Thank you," Troy said to Gabriella, "For taking care of her."

"No problem," Gabriella said, meaning it. "Chrissy is a pleasure to talk to… I got to hear about your baking skills, Mr. Bolton," Gabriella rose from the bench.

"Please call me Troy," Troy replied, taking Chrissy's hand. "And don't listen to everything Chrissy says… She could be making it up!"

"Really," Gabriella said teasingly. "That was pretty convincing…"

"Daddy, you _did_ set the oven on fire!" Chrissy protested indignantly.

"Yes, I did, sweetie," Troy admitted, smiling as Gabriella giggled. "Well, thank you so much, Ms. Montez."

"Gabriella," she corrected, checking her watch. "I'd better run, the train doesn't wait!"

"Please, let me drive you home," Troy said. "It's my fault that you could miss your train…"

"No, no," Gabriella said. "I live a little far for comfort. Have a lovely weekend!"

"You as well," Troy said.

* * *

"Shit," Gabriella mumbled to herself, running down the street towards her apartment. "So late…"

"Where have you been?" Drew asked as she unlocked the apartment door.

"A student's parent was late for pick up," Gabriella said, moving inside the darkened apartment. "I had to stay with her, she was quite upset…"

"Right," Drew snorted.

"What?" Gabriella said cautiously.

"You're lying," Drew replied softly.

"No, I'm not," Gabriella said. "You can ask-"

"So who were you screwing, you whore?" Drew spat. "Who took the time to fuck you right after school?"

"Drew, calm down," Gabriella said firmly, as her body began to shake, the only indication that she was terrified.

"You dirty, lying bitch," Drew snarled.

"Drew, you're drunk, you're angry. Please, just calm down, take a deep breath…" Gabriella pleaded.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Drew thundered.

Gabriella felt the first blow, raising her hands to cover her face as Drew rained blows down on her. She willed herself not to scream, tears silently streaming down her face as she attempted to shield her body. When he was done, she had a nasty gash on her chest, just above her left breast, and she could feel herself bruising as Drew stormed away, off into the night to drown his sorrows.

* * *

"Daddy, will you read me a story?" Chrissy said sweetly as Troy tucked her into her bed.

"Of course, baby," Troy said, walking over to her bookshelf. "What do you want tonight?"

"Daddy, Ms. Montez said that 'Where the Mountain Meets the Moon' is a good book with lots of pretty pictures! She lended me the book and it's in my backpack," Chrissy said, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Lent," Troy corrected, and fetched Chrissy's backpack from by the door. "Is this it?" He asked, holding up a novel.

"Yes!" Chrissy squealed. "She said it's all about a little girl and a dragon and that she met the writer, and the writer signed her book!"

"Did she really?" Troy asked, flipping to the front cover. "Wow, Chrissy, are you sure Ms. Montez is okay with you borrowing this?"

"Yes!" Chrissy said. "She gave it to me. She said that I can bring it back when I'm done."

"Okay," Troy said, settling down next to his daughter. "_Far away from here, following the Jade River, there was once a black mountain that cut into the sky like a jagged piece of rough metal. The villagers called it Fruitless Mountain…_" Troy read.

* * *

The next morning, Gabi woke up feeling incredibly sore. After Drew's barrage, she had managed to pick herself up and clean her cuts, then she fell exhaustedly to bed, crying herself to sleep. Stumbling towards the bathroom, Gabriella flicked on the light and examined herself. Nothing on her face, amazingly- her bruises were located mostly on her stomach and just below her neck. Nothing she couldn't cover up with a long sleeved shirt and some concealer. Her situation was far from ideal- but she just didn't have anywhere else to turn.

* * *

**A/N**

Let me know what you think! The review box is just below… ;-)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

Hey Guys!

I realized that in the last chapter, I didn't cite my source- the book Troy began reading to Chrissy before her bedtime is called "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin. (There'll be a more of it in this chapter and possible next chapters.) I absolutely love that book, it has beautiful illustrations even though it's a novel (for kids). If you have time, I suggest you read it!

This is chapter three- thanks for stopping by and please review! Also, check out my other HSM fanfic, How Times Change :-)

-Jackie

* * *

Monday morning, Gabriella rolled out of bed at 5:30, half an hour before her alarm was set to ring. Drew had stumbled in the previous night, begging for Gabriella's forgiveness. As it usually happened, Gabriella took him back. But as of late, she was doubting her living situation more and more. Since she was making her own money, enough to live off of, the thought of moving away from Drew became increasingly appealing. But he would find her if she moved away. He always found her.

*/*/*/*/*

Preparing for school in their small bathroom, Gabriella slipped on her charcoal skirt and flats, then contemplated what shirt to wear. She donned a light blue button up shirt, and dabbed concealer on her most obvious markings. Deeming herself presentable, Gabriella left the apartment and caught the earlier train. As the train pulled away from the station, Gabriella leaned back in her seat, taking a deep breath. She was safe.

* * *

At the end of the day, Gabriella stalled as much as possible, straightening up the child-sized chairs and tables, organizing the bookshelf one last time.

"Ms. Montez?" She heard Chrissy's voice and she turned around, seeing Chrissy dragging Troy behind her.

"Chrissy! What a lovely surprise," Gabriella smiled. "What brings you here so late? School ended twenty minutes ago!"

"I wanted Daddy to come see," Chrissy said, and Troy grinned. "He didn't see the classroom yet and I wanted him to see!"

"It's nice to see you again, Ms. Montez," Troy said. "Chrissy has told me so much about you!"

"It's been so nice getting to know Chrissy," Gabriella said sincerely. "She's so sweet and enthusiastic!"

"Thank you so much," Troy said. "You've made a real impact on her… it's incredible."

"Actually, Mr. Bolton," Gabriella began.

"Troy," Troy corrected her.

"Actually, Troy, I'd love to sit down and have a parent-teacher conference- Chrissy has been making real strides and I'm supposed to save these details for conferences. School policy," Gabriella said apologetically.

"That would be great," Troy said. "Thank you again, Ms. Montez, you've really been- what's that?" He stopped short in the middle of his sentence, noticing a light purple mark on her neck.

"What?" Gabriella said, looking down. Gasping, she noticed that one of her bruises was showing- her concealer had rubbed off. She pulled the collar of her shirt tighter, attempting to cover it up.

"I'm sorry, it's not my place to ask… but are you alright?" Troy asked, feeling more concerned than he had any right to be.

"Yes," Gabriella said hastily, but firmly. "Thank you for stopping by, but I really must go," she said hurriedly.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't realize that we were keeping you from an appointment…"

"No, no, you're not…" Gabriella mumbled, swiftly walking to her desk to gather her things. "I really must get home, can't be late," she said, stumbling over her words.

"Have a nice rest of the day, Gabriella," Troy said, confused at her sudden strange behavior.

"You too, Mr- Troy," Gabriella quickly corrected herself. "Feel free to email me about when you would like to meet. Conferences are normally on Wednesdays. Chrissy, you were lovely in class today! See you tomorrow!" Gabriella said.

"Thank you, Ms. Montez," Chrissy said. "See you tomorrow!"

*/*/*/*/*

"Daddy, why did Ms. Montez have a big bruise on her neck?" Chrissy asked as Troy turned out of the school parking lot.

"I don't know, sweetie," Troy said, his brow furrowed, still confused at Gabriella's unexpected change in decorum.

"Maybe she fell?" Chrissy questioned.

_Or maybe someone hit her_, Troy thought as he stopped at the red light. The thought of someone hurting Gabriella, who was so sweet, made his blood boil. If someone had… he'd give that guy a taste of his own medicine.

"Chrissy, I don't know," Troy said. He suddenly felt frustrated that he _didn't _know- he would make it his task to get to know Gabriella Montez better.

* * *

_Thursday night._

"Gabriella, what's this…" Drew said dangerously, holding up a print out of the email she had just sent. Though on Sunday night, when he had promised to change he had sounded sincere, he was back to his old ways, spending all of Wednesday night drinking, coming home to fuck her then fall asleep.

"Drew, what are you doing going through my emails?" Gabriella said angrily, rising, snatching the paper from grasp.

"It's my business," Drew drawled, "To know who wants to fuck my girlfriend."

"Troy is one of my students' parents, Drew," Gabriella replied, shaking. "Our relationship is purely professional, and we have to meet on Wednesday for a parent teacher conference."

"_I would love to meet with you_" Drew's voice was high pitched, attempting to imitate Gabriella's voice. "_Does Wednesday after school sound good?_"

"Drew!" Gabriella said, warningly. "Shut the fuck up."

Drew continued, reading part of Troy's reply. "I'll have my mom pick Chrissy up, that was we can talk in peace." Drew snorted. "Talk. Right. You gonna let him fuck you on one of those prissy kiddie tables?"

"You know what?" Gabriella said, grabbing her jacket bag. "I'm leaving."

"Where do you think you're going?" Drew said, façade of calm falling over him.

"Away from here," Gabriella said, yanking open the door.

"I don't think so," Drew said, striding over to her and grabbing her arm, squeezing hard.

"Drew, let go of me," Gabriella said firmly.

"I don't think so," Drew repeated.

"I'll call the police," Gabriella threatened.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Drew thundered, his calm falling away. "Don't threaten me!"

"Then don't touch me!" Gabriella screamed back, praying that someone would hear her. But as usual, no one did, because of the thumping bass that always reverberated from the floor below their apartment.

"I'll touch you if I want to," Drew said, taking a step towards her. Gabriella braced herself as Drew pushed her away from the door, beating her back. She tried to fight, but Drew was too big- throwing punches everywhere. Gabriella just closed her eyes, and her consciousness began to slip away…

* * *

"_All this time, Minli had been cutting the twine ropes. At that very moment, Minli cut the last rope and rubbed the dragon's arm,_" Troy read as Chrissy listened eagerly. They were still reading 'Where the Mountain Meets the Moon'- now on chapter 12. Troy had to admit, it was quite a good story that Gabriella had recommended. Troy continued reading the last few sentences to the chapter, and by then, Chrissy was yawning. "I love you, baby," Troy said as he stood up, turned off the light and kissed his daughter's head.

"I love you too, Daddy," Chrissy said sleepily, snuggling deeper into her covers.

Troy walked out of Chrissy's room, and went down the hallway to his own, collapsing on his king bed. After Chrissy's mom had left Chrissy with him, he had moved them to San Francisco from Albuquerque. Chrissy had been conceived through a torrid one night stand- but Troy didn't regret her at all. She was the light in his life, what kept him happy. Her mom had escaped from the hospital- disappearing, as Troy knew she would, and Chrissy remained with Troy.

As Troy attempted to fall asleep, his thoughts turned back to Gabriella, as they had been ever since he saw her bruise at school. _That's not appropriate, Troy, _a voice in his head whispered. _The voice is right_, he thought. _What if they have rules against parents and teachers dating…_ _dating? Where did that come from?_ Troy thought, bolting upright then laying down, settling back into his thoughts. _Yes, what if they have rules about parents and teachers… getting close… I certainly don't want to get her fired, she cares so much about the kids and Chrissy… Taking Gabriella away from Chrissy when she's grown so much would be devastating…_ He thought as he fell asleep, lulled by his contemplations.

*/*/*/*/*

"Daddy," Chrissy whispered as she crawled into his bed. "There's a monster in my closet… I don't think it's a nice one."

"It's okay, Chrissy," Troy said, sleepily pulling his daughter towards his body. "There's room in Daddy's bed for one more squirt."

"Love you, Daddy," Chrissy whispered sleepily as she was lulled to sleep by Troy stroking her arm.

When Troy woke up in the morning, Chrissy was still asleep. What was new, though, was an uncomfortable hard-on. Thanking his lucky stars that Chrissy was still deep in dreamland, he wondered out loud, "What could've caused this…" as he jumped out of bed. _Gabriella_. He had been having a particularly… nice… dream about her. He groaned, and decided that he needed a long, cold shower.

* * *

Gabriella awoke the next morning, sore all over, to her pre-set alarm. Drew was slumped in the bed, snoring loudly. Gabriella, remembering what Drew had done to her the previous night, winced as she picked herself off up the floor. Her dried tears clung to her face, and her clothing was wrinkled. She swore when she saw that her skirt had a hole in it, and ripped it off angrily. "Fucking Drew," she said, scrambling around her closet to find an outfit for the day. Gabriella had learned that there was no use in displaying her pain- her shame of being beaten by someone who was so sweet in public, but at home was a menace. She hated being seen as weak, so every time after Drew beat her, she picked herself off and buried her hurt under other thoughts. Working with the innocent kindergartners helped her immensely, the wondering, innocent eyes of her students were soothing and a delight to watch. She sighed, examining her bruises from the new tirade, and decided that a nothing short of a turtleneck would cover her marks up. She pulled on a grey cardigan over a more formal red t-shirt, and donned a pair of black pants with her customary black ballet flats. She was as ready as she would ever be to face the day.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

Hey guys! Thanks so much for your feedback :-) Enjoy!

* * *

"Hello, Gabriella," Troy said, extending his hand. "Thanks for meeting with me today!"

"No worries," Gabriella said warmly, indicating that he sit. "It's very nice to see you again!"

"I really appreciate you staying so late for me," he said, running his hand through his chestnut hair.

"Well, let's get to Chrissy, shall we?" Gabriella said, taking a seat across from him.

"Yes," Troy replied. "How is she doing?"

"Chrissy really is marvelous," Gabriella praised. "She's very special, and very intelligent, too. She's learning more quickly than most of the other children. I was a bit apprehensive when she came in, because she was so shy- but over the past couple of weeks, she's really made an impression on me and the other teachers. She's a joy to have in the classroom."

Troy smiled, overjoyed to hear Gabriella speak so highly of his daughter. "Gabriella, I really appreciate everything that you've done for her… It's incredible, she's grown so much and it's only been two weeks. I can, of course, credit that for you. You're amazing," Troy said sincerely.

Gabriella blushed. "Thank you," she said. "Chrissy obviously has you to thank, though- she's very well-mannered and I think she could be a real leader."

"I'm glad," Troy replied, smiling.

"I understand that you are raising Chrissy alone?" Gabriella blurted out suddenly. "I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from…"

"Yes, I am," Troy said, surprisingly comfortable in answering this question. "I've raised Chrissy since she was born. Her mother left us."

"Oh… I'm sorry," Gabriella said softly.

"Chrissy is my pride and joy," Troy said. "She's my everything."

"You've raised her very well," Gabriella complimented. She went on to show Troy all of Chrissy's work, and let him know what was coming up in terms of curriculum. By the time she was done showing her around, Troy realized that he didn't want the conference to end- he wanted to spend as much time with Gabriella as possible. Before Gabriella realized it, Troy was asking her about herself- and she was answering!

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" He questioned, after finding out the basics- her birthday, where she was from, her education. He didn't realize that the question would make her uncomfortable, for he enjoyed simply talking to her.

"Yes," Gabriella said stiffly. "I have a… boyfriend."

"I'm sorry, was that crossing the line?" Troy said apologetically.

"No, no," Gabriella said, turning away and walking over to pack her bag.

"Gabriella? Are you alright?" Troy inquired, concerned by her change in behavior. Her face became closed off, and Troy didn't like the look on her face. "Gabriella, I'm sorry…"

"No. It's fine," she reiterated.

"Gabriella, does he hurt you?" Troy asked, beginning to shake. Gabriella didn't answer, swinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Thank you for coming in, Troy," Gabriella said politely, turning to leave. "I'm really enjoying Chrissy, and I look forward to working with her this year."

"Why don't you call the police?" Troy asked, catching Gabriella's arm. She winced.

"Troy… I'm sorry, but I can't talk to you about this…" Her defenses came down a little.

"Gabriella… I can help you," Troy said gently, trying to keep his anger in check at her silent confirmation that someone was, in fact, harming her.

"Troy, please," Gabriella begged. "Let it go! Let go of me." Troy complied, and Gabriella turned around and ran out of the classroom.

Troy let her go.

* * *

"Shit," Troy said, climbing into his car. His head was spinning, and he was shaking with anger at whoever was hurting Gabriella. He wanted to find that bastard and rip him limb from limb. His drive home was a fog, and before he got out of the car, he took a deep breath to calm himself for Chrissy and his mom.

"Hi Troy," Lucille Bolton greeted her son when he walked through the door. "Are you alright?" She asked, concerned. She could detect his trying to calm himself down.

"Yes," Troy said firmly.

"Troy Alexander Bolton," Lucille said, hands on her hips. "Don't lie to me. You may be 27 years old, but you still can't lie to your mother. What happened?"

"Gabriella, Chrissy's teacher," Troy said, blowing out a huge breath.

"She's quite attractive, and young, too," Lucille observed. "But I don't think that's what you're angry about…"

"No. Mom, I can't talk about it, it's not my place to say," Troy said as Chrissy came running up to him. He scooped her up and she laughed.

"Daddy! Daddy! Put me down," she gasped.

"Alright, peanut," Troy chuckled. Chrissy made it easier for him to hide his feelings.

"Troy, I have to get home," Lucille said, checking her watch. "Your father is having some friends over to watch the football game."

"Alright, thanks so much, mom," Troy said. "Love you."

"I love you too, Troy," Lucille said as Troy kissed her on the cheek. "Bye, sweetie."

"Bye Gramma!" Chrissy said, and Lucy kissed her on the forehead before leaving.

"Daddy! How was your meeting?" Chrissy questioned Troy, trailing him into the kitchen where he began preparation for dinner. "Didn't you like Ms. Montez? Isn't she beautiful? Today she helped us make books with yarn and construction paper!"

"I had a good meeting with her, honey," Troy said. "She really likes you."

* * *

The weeks flew by, and Troy found himself in November. More and more, he began lagging behind after school, making sure to pick her up, and lingering to talk to Gabriella much longer than the other parents. Often, their conversations would carry on for so long that they would gravitate towards the playground, where Chrissy could play while they chatted. Troy found himself becoming more and more attracted to her- she was a natural beauty, with ebony hair and chocolate brown eyes. The topic of her boyfriend didn't ever come up in their conversations, and Troy saw no more bruises appear along her collarbone. She had a soothing aura about her, passionate and caring, and he discovered that she was incredibly intelligent. He wished to ask her on a date, but he knew she was in a relationship. Besides, she was Chrissy's teacher, and that alone made the question he so longed to ask completely out of line already.

* * *

_Late November, the week before Thanksgiving_

"Hey Gabriella," Emily greeted her as she settled herself on the playground bench next to Gabriella for recess.

"Hey Emily," Gabriella replied, smiling. Emily, another kindergarten teacher, had become her friend, her being the only other teacher around Gabriella's age.

"So, Thanksgiving is coming up. Any special plans?" Emily inquired.

"Oh, no…" Gabriella said vaguely. "I've had the kids making all those turkey crafts and such, you know…"

"I do," Emily said, laughing. "Hey, I was thinking of bringing in some snacks for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving- you know, talk to the kids about why we have it and such. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea, Em," Gabriella said sincerely.

"Hey, it would be kind of cool to do it as a joint class thing, get all the kindergarteners together?"

"Yeah," Gabriella replied, not knowing why that raised a red flag in her head.

"Okay, is it okay if we use your classroom, and I'll bring the snacks in?"

"That sounds great!" Gabriella said. "I'll just clear it with Mrs. DeSandre." Mrs. Desandre was the principal, a kind lady who was organized and down-to-business- probably why she didn't teach a class herself.

* * *

"Okay, class," Gabriella said to her eager class, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. "Ms. Hupalo's class is going to come in, and we're going to have a Thanksgiving 'supper'!"

All the children clapped their hands, excited to be able to have their friends from the other class come in. Once everyone was seated, Emily and Gabriella passed out the snacks, and as the children were munching away, they explained why Thanksgiving was a holiday. Emily began to read the children's book "Pardon That Turkey", as the children quieted down and listened intently. Gabriella relaxed, sitting down next to her students, listening to the story. Gabriella relaxed, until she heard a quiet "Ms. Montez." As she looked around to see the source, her eyes landed on Chrissy, who was slowly turning blue, her eyes fluttering. Then she remembered why she had doubts about Emily coming in for Thanksgiving: Chrissy was severely allergic to nuts.

* * *

**A/N**

So… I played with that ending for a little bit… um… Yeah, just let me know what you think.;"?


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